McCOMB – Parents and students learned Friday, April 4, that St. Alphonsus School will close at the end of this year. The school has seen declining enrollment for the past couple of years and despite efforts on behalf of the staff and administration, enrollment is again down for the upcoming year.
Principal Tim Roberts sent a letter home to parents so they could find a place for their students as soon as possible and promised refunds to everyone who pre-registered for next year. In an email to Mississippi Catholic he asked for prayers for the school community as they go through this transition. Both the preschool and elementary school will close.
“It is sad that St. Alphonsus was unable to sustain sufficient enrollment to remain a viable Catholic school for the community of McComb and Pike County,” said Catherine Cook, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the diocese.
“I commend Tim Roberts and the pastor, Father Brian Kaskie, for evaluating the situation in order to avoid sacrificing the quality of education offered and to prevent an unmanageable financial burden on the parish. Making the decision now in addition to providing parents with time to find alternative placement gives faculty and staff an opportunity to find employment rather than finding out in the summer when jobs may be more difficult to obtain,” Cook added.|
“Both St. Alphonsus Parish and the Diocese of Jackson sincerely appreciate the individuals and families who have supported the mission of Catholic Education in McComb, Mississippi, and the operation of this school for the many years it has existed. Throughout its history, St. Alphonsus Catholic School has helped create generations of spiritually enlightened and academically enriched citizens,” wrote Roberts in his letter.